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Lemonana
Lemonana (limonada bi na'na): frozen mint lemonade blended to a bright green slush
From café terraces in Ramallah and Jaffa to juice bars along Hamra Street in Beirut, summer means tall glasses of lemonana: lemons and fistfuls of fresh mint blended with ice into a sharp, sweet, electric-green slush. It is the drink handed to you after a walk through the market at noon, and it cools a mezze lunch like nothing else. Everything goes in a blender, but the mint must be fresh and plentiful. The common mistake is blending the mint for too long, which bruises it and turns the drink murky and grassy. Chef's tip: make a lemon-sugar syrup first and chill it; dissolved sugar sweetens evenly and lets you blend for only a few seconds.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 3 ½ oz sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 tsp lemon zest in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Cool, then chill.
5 minStep 2: Put the syrup, ¾ cup lemon juice, 1 oz fresh mint leaves, 1 ⅛ lb ice cubes and 1 cup cold water in a blender.
Step 3: Blend on high for 20–30 seconds only, until smooth and bright green with tiny flecks of mint. Taste and add a little more lemon or syrup.
Step 4: Pour into tall glasses straight away and serve with a sprig of mint; it separates if left standing.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 29 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lemonana take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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